Can you believe it! It’s 10 years since this South Shields Football Club player’s sensational goal went global.

Warren Byrne, who was 33 at the time, scored the eye-catching strike in the Mariners’ 3-0 win at Tow Law Town in April 2016.

After flicking the ball up once, the factory worker - who joined Shields a summer earlier - then hooked it over his head with his right foot and sent a stunning left-foot volley into the opposite corner from 20 yards.

How the Shields Gazette reported the amazing goal by Warren Byrne ten years ago. | img

placeholder image — How the Shields Gazette reported the amazing goal by Warren Byrne ten years ago. | img

When the video was shared by the club, things quickly snowballed and it had more than 45,000 views on the Mariners’ YouTube account alone in no time.

But it did’s stop there.

It was also shared to Instagram and within days, the video had been watched there more than 1.5million times - with almost 300,000 likes and 3,000 comments.

It eventually received more than 3.5million views online - and counting.

Warren pictured on the day he joined South Shields FC in the summer of 2015. | img

Byrne, who had in the past played for Seaham Red Star, Bishop Auckland and Crook Town, and is from Shildon, County Durham, admitted he could not believe how far the goal had spread.

Sporting Excellence Award winner Warren Byrne speaks to Ray Spencer MBE during the Shields Gazette's Best of South Tyneside event at the Quality Hotel in Boldon | img

He said at the time: “It has been crazy. It’s definitely the best goal I’ve ever scored.

“When I heard about the number of views that it had - and all of the worldwide broadcasters who’d got hold of it - I couldn’t believe it.

“I had lots of family members ringing and texting me, and saying they couldn’t believe it either.

“It’s incredible, and my phone has never stopped.”

South Shields Football Club player Warren Byrne receives a cheque from £50,000 from former Manchester United and England player Gary Pallister. | sg

If it wasn’t enough to score a wonder goal, Warren also became an award winner that year. He picked up the trophy at the Shields Gazette Best of South Tyneside Awards in the Sporting Excellence category.

It also earned the 33-yearold the title of Budweiser’s Dream Goal winner for 2016, beating thousands of entries from other non-league footballers in the country to win the prize.

Part of the reward was a £50,000 grant for the non league club of Byrne’s choice, and former England and Manchester United defender Gary Pallister was on hand to present the money to the Mariners.

The accolades kept on coming. It won the CNN goal of the week award and was suggested as a possible candidate for the Puskas Award - given to the best goal scored in the world in a calendar year.

Tell us if you’ve seen a better goal scored in South Tyneside by emailing [email protected]